Parshat Tzav

The Vessel

"Sure Chaim. Here is the pitcher, and here is a cup. Don't forget tomake a beracha (blessing over the water) before you drink."

"Yum. That was so refreshing. Thank you so much Imma. I was so thirstythat I would have used my hands as a cup, or even taken a drink fromthe pitcher.

"Your hands, Chaim, cannot hold nearly as much water as the cup. Thewater that you held would probably drip or spill as you were trying todrink. The best vessel to hold water for drinking is a cup."

"What is the best vessel for holding paint, Imma?"

"A sealed can. That way the paint will not dry out."

"What about toothpaste?"

"A tube is the best for that. You can squeeze out just as much as youneed."

"And a bucket is the best thing to hold my building blocks."

"Right, Chaim. You could put them in a plastic bag, but the bucket ismuch stronger."

"In other words, Imma, there are different containers that we can useto hold things, but each thing has the vessel which suits it best."

"Exactly. Chaim, did you know that spiritual things have vesselsalso."

"They must be spiritual vessels."

"They are, Chaim. We learn about a very important vessel from thisweek's parsha."

"Hmmm. Let's see. Parshas Tzav is all about korbonos, the offeringsbrought to the Tabernacle and Holy Temple. Do you mean the vesselsused in preparing and sacrificing the korbonos Imma?"

"Not exactly, Chaim. There was a korbon called the Shlomim, the peaceoffering."

"Why was it called that, Imma?"

"The Medrash explains that that korbon was called Shlomim because itmade peace between the Kohanim (Priests), the Mizbeach (Altar), andthe man who brought the korbon."

"How did it make peace, Imma?"

"Everyone had a share in it. The Kohanim received some of the meat,the limbs went to the Mizbeach, and the man received the remainder ofthe meat and the skin. Everyone was a partner in it, and everyonereceived something. That made peace. And it brought blessing to allinvolved."

"That is fascinating, Imma. These korbonos really have deep meaning.Can you please explain two more things to me?"

"Sure, Chaim."

"I understand how the Korbon Shlomim made peace, but how did it bringblessing? And what is the spiritual vessel that you told me about afew minutes ago?"

"These two points are related Chaim. A different Medrash explains thatthe best vessel for holding blessings is peace. Peace is a spiritualvessel. It holds spiritual things, namely blessings. Hashem loves usvery much and wants to bless us with all sorts of good things. Hewants to give us wisdom, good health, wealth, security, children, andmany other good things. However, like the water that you wanted todrink, these blessings must be held inside of something. If not, theywill just run away from us and be lost."

"Like the drinking water will spill and be lost without the cup,Imma?"

"That's right, Chaim."

"Peace is the 'cup' which holds the 'water' of blessings. We have manyexamples of this in history. The Jewish people were at peace with eachother, and received blessings far greater than could be expected underthe circumstances."

"Imma, what can we do to receive these blessings?"

"We have to be at peace with one another."

"Imma, you are really great. I ask you for a drink of water, and Ireceive much more in return. You really know how to make peace."

"That is why I received the greatest blessing of all, Chaim. Awonderful son like you."

Kinderlach . . .

Who can think of ways to make peace? "Give in to the other person.""Do not answer back when the other person is angry." "Speak softly.""Communicate clearly." "Don't jump to conclusions." "Judge favorably.""Don't let little things bother you." "Always be the first one toapologize." "Run away from an argument as you would run from a fire.""Work together." "Help other people." "Always try to give more thanyou get." "Smile, and give compliments whenever you can." These areall correct answers. There are many other answers. Each is a tool. Weare making a vessel called peace, and we need to use the proper tools.Kinderlach, may you all make beautiful, big vessels, which Hashem willthen fill with blessings.

Who Would Ever Think

The Torah writes (Vayikra 7:18) that it is forbidden to eat a korbon(sacrifice) which has become pigul (unfit). If the Kohen was thinkingan improper thought at the time he was sacrificing the korbon, itbecomes pigul. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 98:4) comparestefillah (prayer) to korbonos (sacrifices). Therefore, we must becareful not to allow an improper thought to cross our minds whilepraying, as it will invalidate the tefillah in the same way that itmade the korbon pigul. The Shulchan Aruch continues to explain thatwe should have a makom kavuah (fixed place) for tefillah, just as eachperson had a fixed place where he prepared his korbon. It is fittingfor everyone to have nice, clean clothes for tefillah.

Kinderlach . . .

Tefillah is so important. Many people ask our great Rabbis for adviceon how to succeed in the areas of marital harmony and child rearing. Many times, their advice begins with the importance of praying toHashem for success. Prayer is our opportunity to speak to Hashem. We are standing before the Creator of the World and He is listening tous. Let us all take our time kinderlach, and pray with the properthoughts, in our own place, wearing nice clothes. May Hashem acceptour pure tefillos, just as He accepted the korbonos in the BeisHaMikdash.

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